Will Smith says he borrowed $ 10,000 from a drug dealer after going bankrupt because he didn’t pay taxes


Will Smith and Idris Elba in 2021.

Will Smith and Idris Elba on the stage of “Will: A Story Evening with Friends” in London, England.Riatoby / Getty Images

  • Will Smith shared his past financial problems during a Thursday book tour appearance in London.

  • Smith said he had borrowed $ 10,000 from a friend who was a drug dealer after breaking his tax debt.

  • Smith said he sold everything after receiving the money and moved to Los Angeles.

Will Smith recently shared at the beginning of his career that he borrowed $ 10,000 from a drug dealer when he went bankrupt because he didn’t pay tax debt in the early 1990s.

When appearing Thursday at the Savoy Theater in London to promote his autobiography “Will,” Smith spoke with actor Idris Elba about his financial problems after becoming famous.

“I don’t know what the government is about UK taxes, but we take them seriously in the United States,” Smith told the audience. Metro..

“So Uncle Sam wanted his money … I didn’t forget, I just didn’t pay,” he continued.

“I had to sell everything, and I knew what my new life would be, I could feel it would be in Los Angeles,” he said.

“So I borrowed $ 10,000 from my friend who was a supplier of medicines in my neighborhood,” he continued, laughing at the audience.

“Is his name Stringer Bell?” Elba responded by referring to the infamous character he played on HBO’s “The Wire.”

The “King Richard” star was about to declare bankruptcy, but he moved to Los Angeles to win the lead role in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

According to Will Smith: Biography, the IRS decorated 70 percent of his salary Over the first three seasons of the show.

Smith concludes the night with a medley of hits with frequent collaborators such as “Brand New Funk,” “Switch,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” and “Summertime.” ..

November 8th, Smith 5-day book tour He started in his hometown of Philadelphia and stopped in Brooklyn, Chicago, Los Angeles and London to promote his memoirs.

Smith’s representative did not immediately respond to the insider’s request for comment.

“Will” was released on November 9th.

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